New Hibiscus syriacus x paramutabilis twice best novelty

At the last week held Four Oaks Trade Show 2017 in the UK Hibiscus syriacus x paramutabilis ‘WALHIROSMO’ was announced Best Nursery Stock Introduction. Trade magazine Horticultural Week which is a co-sponsor of the show quotes the jury saying: “The size of the flower is absolutely stunning for what is a familiar plant.” This hardy hibiscus has huge flowers up to 18cm across. ‘WALHIROSMO’ was submitted by Diderk Heinje from Heinje Baumschulen in Germany. The company brings the novelty on the European market as Big Hibiskiss. The European community trademark registration for Big Hibiskiss was filed July 2017.
Breeding history goes back to 1985
The cultivar name ‘WALHIROSMO’ reveals the origin of this Hibiscus: Walberton Nursery in the UK. David Tristram from this nursery bred it. The Plant Patent documents (granted in September 2014) include a very detailed description of the breeding history of ‘WALHIROSMO’.
Tristram made his initial species cross between Hibiscus syriacus as the female parent and Hibiscus paramutabilis as the male parent in 1985, from which cross three of the most promising seedlings were retained to commence a long-term breeding aimed at achieving valuable commercial and aesthetic benefits, notably flower size, presentation, and coloration. Each new breeding cycle occupied from two to three years and required the production of each generation of new seedlings through the winter months, under lights. ‘WALHIROSMO’ was selected in 2002 from a cross made in 2000 between two unnamed and unreleased seedlings, both arising from the initial species cross. The parents of ‘WALHIROSMO’ were discarded without close description because the perceived benefits of ‘WALHIROSMO’ exceeded either of the parents. In particular, ‘WALHIROSMO’ exhibited larger and flatter flowers than either of the parents. Tristram selected ‘WALHIROSMO’ for its large well presented flat flowers which are rose-pink in color with a contrasting red center.
Brought onto the market both in Europe and US
In the UK royalty management agency Plants for Europe administrates the licenses of the new Hibisicus and included it in their portfolio as Hibiscus syriacus x paramutabilis ‘WALHIROSMO’ Rose Moon. In the US Plants for Europe’s counterpart PlantHaven International also brought it onto the North American market as Rose Moon. Monrovia is one of the US based nurseries that mention Rose Moon in their catalog. Monrovia describes it as a Hibiscus with nearly continuous summer flowering, little to no seed production, glossy dark green foliage on strong branching and deciduous.
‘Kissable collection’
In the US nursery, Altman Plants brings the HibisKISS™ collection onto the market. The collection has twelve Hibiscus rosa-sinensis varieties. All have ‘kissable’ names. However, First Kiss, Hugs and Kisses, Good Night Kiss, Just Kissed, Simple Pleasures, Honeymoon and the other varieties have nothing to do with the breeding work conducted at Walberton Nursery, despite that also these Hibiscus’ have ‘spectacularly large, 7-inch wide blooms with frilly petals that come in an array of bright lights and big color’.
Groen-Direkt
Big Hibiskiss was not only awarded at Four Oaks Trade Show 2017 but only a few days earlier also announced Best Novelty at the fall trade event of Groen-Direkt, which was held simultaneously at Plantarium 2017 in Netherlands.